SAN FRANCISCO — There is no replaying last year’s N.L. wild-card game. There is no way for the Pittsburgh Pirates to reverse their decision to pitch Gerrit Cole in the regular-season finale instead of holding him back to face the Giants.

But the Giants’ 4-3 loss Monday night at AT&T Park might have offered a future glimpse into the next time these teams confront each other in the postseason.

Cole faced Brandon Crawford with the bases loaded in the sixth inning. Crawford did not punish the Pirates with a grand slam, as he did last October.

He grounded into a double play, Cole’s upper-90s stuff got nastier as the night went on, and two tremendous catches in the outfield were not enough to save Ryan Vogelsong as the Giants began June with their third consecutive loss.

“I don’t remember him having as much movement, especially with the upper-90s fastball,” Crawford said. “I remember there was some arm-side run in the past, usually with his 93 or 94 mph, at the lower end of his fastball. But the pitch I grounded into a double play was 98 with sink, which I don’t remember seeing from him in the past.”

The Pirates won for the ninth time in 11 games, and Cole did not allow an earned run in seven innings while improving to 8-2 with a 1.90 ERA. He joined Bartolo Colon and Felix Hernandez as the only eight-game winners in the majors. Dating to early September of last season, Cole is 12-2 over 16 starts.

The Pirates would have won in a blowout if it hadn’t been for center fielder Angel Pagan and right fielder Hunter Pence, who made spectacular catches on Andrew McCutchen with the bases loaded in the third and fifth innings, respectively.

Pagan raced and made a full-extension dive in left-center, a tangle of limbs and tousled hair, while making his catch in the third inning. Pence went to the gap in right-center and left his feet while hauling in his catch in the fifth. Instead of two bases-clearing doubles and six RBIs, McCutchen settled for a pair of sacrifice flies. He had to smile all the way to the dugout after Pence denied him again.

The catches were momentary reprieves for Vogelsong, who gave up a tiebreaking, two-run double to Neil Walker just two pitches after Pence’s catch.

Vogelsong lamented the two-strike pitch that hit Josh Harrison, and a close 3-2 pitch to Gregory Polanco that was called ball four.

“He just came up short against a tough pitcher,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said.

Brandon Belt gave the Giants a 2-0 lead in the first inning when he flicked his bat at a 96 mph fastball and sent it into the right field corner for a double, accounting for two unearned runs because of an earlier error by shortstop Jung Ho Kang.

The Giants didn’t touch Cole again, and a seemingly inconsistent strike zone from plate umpire Adrian Johnson didn’t help. With Cole throwing fuel, the last thing the Giants hitters needed was another doubt in their minds.

Trailing by two runs in the sixth, they had their chance. The Giants started the inning with two walks and a single, but Belt struck out when he couldn’t check his swing on a nasty, 89 mph slider.

“It was a borderline strike, and you’ve got no choice except to swing there,” Belt said. “But I was ahead 2-0, and he threw me a fastball that I fouled off. I had my chance that at-bat and just didn’t get it done.”

Crawford was next, and the Pirates surely remembered his grand slam off Edinson Volquez that quieted PNC Park in the wild-card game last October. There was personal significance, too. Cole’s longtime girlfriend is Crawford’s sister, Amy.

Cole missed low with a slider then came back with that sinking, 98 mph fastball. Walker started the double play, and the Giants failed to score despite loading the bases with no outs.

“He’s having a great year, and he’s got the stuff to pitch out of that jam in the sixth,” Bochy said. “That was pretty much our undoing. We had two good hitters up, and he made the pitches to stop it.”

Nori Aoki doubled and scored in the eighth inning off Pirates lefty Tony Walker, advancing to third on a deep fly out and scoring on a ground out. But the inning ended with a replay review and a call of fan interference. Buster Posey lofted a deep foul fly that right fielder Polanco appeared to be in position to catch when a Pirates fan wearing a Bonds jersey and a pill box cap reached over the wall and knocked the ball away. The ruling on the field was no play, but replay officials in New York had a different opinion.

SAN FRANCISCO — There is no replaying last year’s N.L. wild-card game. There is no way for the Pittsburgh Pirates to reverse their decision to pitch Gerrit Cole in the regular-season finale instead of holding him back to face the Giants.

But the Giants’ 4-3 loss Monday night at AT&T Park might have offered a future glimpse into the next time these teams confront each other in the postseason.

Cole faced Brandon Crawford with the bases loaded in the sixth inning. Crawford did not punish the Pirates with a grand slam, as he did last October.

He grounded into a double play, Cole’s upper-90s stuff got nastier as the night went on, and two tremendous catches in the outfield were not enough to save Ryan Vogelsong as the Giants began June with their third consecutive loss.

“I don’t remember him having as much movement, especially with the upper-90s fastball,” Crawford said. “I remember there was some arm-side run in the past, usually with his 93 or 94 mph, at the lower end of his fastball. But the pitch I grounded into a double play was 98 with sink, which I don’t remember seeing from him in the past.”

The Pirates won for the ninth time in 11 games, and Cole did not allow an earned run in seven innings while improving to 8-2 with a 1.90 ERA. He joined Bartolo Colon and Felix Hernandez as the only eight-game winners in the majors. Dating to early September of last season, Cole is 12-2 over 16 starts.

The Pirates would have won in a blowout if it hadn’t been for center fielder Angel Pagan and right fielder Hunter Pence, who made spectacular catches on Andrew McCutchen with the bases loaded in the third and fifth innings, respectively.

Pagan raced and made a full-extension dive in left-center, a tangle of limbs and tousled hair, while making his catch in the third inning. Pence went to the gap in right-center and left his feet while hauling in his catch in the fifth. Instead of two bases-clearing doubles and six RBIs, McCutchen settled for a pair of sacrifice flies. He had to smile all the way to the dugout after Pence denied him again.

The catches were momentary reprieves for Vogelsong, who gave up a tiebreaking, two-run double to Neil Walker just two pitches after Pence’s catch.

Vogelsong lamented the two-strike pitch that hit Josh Harrison, and a close 3-2 pitch to Gregory Polanco that was called ball four.

“He just came up short against a tough pitcher,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said.

Brandon Belt gave the Giants a 2-0 lead in the first inning when he flicked his bat at a 96 mph fastball and sent it into the right field corner for a double, accounting for two unearned runs because of an earlier error by shortstop Jung Ho Kang.

The Giants didn’t touch Cole again, and a seemingly inconsistent strike zone from plate umpire Adrian Johnson didn’t help. With Cole throwing fuel, the last thing the Giants hitters needed was another doubt in their minds.

Trailing by two runs in the sixth, they had their chance. The Giants started the inning with two walks and a single, but Belt struck out when he couldn’t check his swing on a nasty, 89 mph slider.

“It was a borderline strike, and you’ve got no choice except to swing there,” Belt said. “But I was ahead 2-0, and he threw me a fastball that I fouled off. I had my chance that at-bat and just didn’t get it done.”

Crawford was next, and the Pirates surely remembered his grand slam off Edinson Volquez that quieted PNC Park in the wild-card game last October. There was personal significance, too. Cole’s longtime girlfriend is Crawford’s sister, Amy.

Cole missed low with a slider then came back with that sinking, 98 mph fastball. Walker started the double play, and the Giants failed to score despite loading the bases with no outs.

“He’s having a great year, and he’s got the stuff to pitch out of that jam in the sixth,” Bochy said. “That was pretty much our undoing. We had two good hitters up, and he made the pitches to stop it.”

Nori Aoki doubled and scored in the eighth inning off Pirates lefty Tony Walker, advancing to third on a deep fly out and scoring on a ground out. But the inning ended with a replay review and a call of fan interference. Buster Posey lofted a deep foul fly that right fielder Polanco appeared to be in position to catch when a Pirates fan wearing a Bonds jersey and a pill box cap reached over the wall and knocked the ball away. The ruling on the field was no play, but replay officials in New York had a different opinion.

SAN FRANCISCO — There is no replaying last year’s N.L. wild-card game. There is no way for the Pittsburgh Pirates to reverse their decision to pitch Gerrit Cole in the regular-season finale instead of holding him back to face the Giants.

But the Giants’ 4-3 loss Monday night at AT&T Park might have offered a future glimpse into the next time these teams confront each other in the postseason.

Cole faced Brandon Crawford with the bases loaded in the sixth inning. Crawford did not punish the Pirates with a grand slam, as he did last October.

He grounded into a double play, Cole’s upper-90s stuff got nastier as the night went on, and two tremendous catches in the outfield were not enough to save Ryan Vogelsong as the Giants began June with their third consecutive loss.

“I don’t remember him having as much movement, especially with the upper-90s fastball,” Crawford said. “I remember there was some arm-side run in the past, usually with his 93 or 94 mph, at the lower end of his fastball. But the pitch I grounded into a double play was 98 with sink, which I don’t remember seeing from him in the past.”

The Pirates won for the ninth time in 11 games, and Cole did not allow an earned run in seven innings while improving to 8-2 with a 1.90 ERA. He joined Bartolo Colon and Felix Hernandez as the only eight-game winners in the majors. Dating to early September of last season, Cole is 12-2 over 16 starts.

The Pirates would have won in a blowout if it hadn’t been for center fielder Angel Pagan and right fielder Hunter Pence, who made spectacular catches on Andrew McCutchen with the bases loaded in the third and fifth innings, respectively.

Pagan raced and made a full-extension dive in left-center, a tangle of limbs and tousled hair, while making his catch in the third inning. Pence went to the gap in right-center and left his feet while hauling in his catch in the fifth. Instead of two bases-clearing doubles and six RBIs, McCutchen settled for a pair of sacrifice flies. He had to smile all the way to the dugout after Pence denied him again.

The catches were momentary reprieves for Vogelsong, who gave up a tiebreaking, two-run double to Neil Walker just two pitches after Pence’s catch.

Vogelsong lamented the two-strike pitch that hit Josh Harrison, and a close 3-2 pitch to Gregory Polanco that was called ball four.

“He just came up short against a tough pitcher,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said.

Brandon Belt gave the Giants a 2-0 lead in the first inning when he flicked his bat at a 96 mph fastball and sent it into the right field corner for a double, accounting for two unearned runs because of an earlier error by shortstop Jung Ho Kang.

The Giants didn’t touch Cole again, and a seemingly inconsistent strike zone from plate umpire Adrian Johnson didn’t help. With Cole throwing fuel, the last thing the Giants hitters needed was another doubt in their minds.

Trailing by two runs in the sixth, they had their chance. The Giants started the inning with two walks and a single, but Belt struck out when he couldn’t check his swing on a nasty, 89 mph slider.

“It was a borderline strike, and you’ve got no choice except to swing there,” Belt said. “But I was ahead 2-0, and he threw me a fastball that I fouled off. I had my chance that at-bat and just didn’t get it done.”

Crawford was next, and the Pirates surely remembered his grand slam off Edinson Volquez that quieted PNC Park in the wild-card game last October. There was personal significance, too. Cole’s longtime girlfriend is Crawford’s sister, Amy.

Cole missed low with a slider then came back with that sinking, 98 mph fastball. Walker started the double play, and the Giants failed to score despite loading the bases with no outs.

“He’s having a great year, and he’s got the stuff to pitch out of that jam in the sixth,” Bochy said. “That was pretty much our undoing. We had two good hitters up, and he made the pitches to stop it.”

Nori Aoki doubled and scored in the eighth inning off Pirates lefty Tony Walker, advancing to third on a deep fly out and scoring on a ground out. But the inning ended with a replay review and a call of fan interference. Buster Posey lofted a deep foul fly that right fielder Polanco appeared to be in position to catch when a Pirates fan wearing a Bonds jersey and a pill box cap reached over the wall and knocked the ball away. The ruling on the field was no play, but replay officials in New York had a different opinion.

SAN FRANCISCO — There is no replaying last year’s N.L. wild-card game. There is no way for the Pittsburgh Pirates to reverse their decision to pitch Gerrit Cole in the regular-season finale instead of holding him back to face the Giants.

But the Giants’ 4-3 loss Monday night at AT&T Park might have offered a future glimpse into the next time these teams confront each other in the postseason.

Cole faced Brandon Crawford with the bases loaded in the sixth inning. Crawford did not punish the Pirates with a grand slam, as he did last October.

He grounded into a double play, Cole’s upper-90s stuff got nastier as the night went on, and two tremendous catches in the outfield were not enough to save Ryan Vogelsong as the Giants began June with their third consecutive loss.

“I don’t remember him having as much movement, especially with the upper-90s fastball,” Crawford said. “I remember there was some arm-side run in the past, usually with his 93 or 94 mph, at the lower end of his fastball. But the pitch I grounded into a double play was 98 with sink, which I don’t remember seeing from him in the past.”

The Pirates won for the ninth time in 11 games, and Cole did not allow an earned run in seven innings while improving to 8-2 with a 1.90 ERA. He joined Bartolo Colon and Felix Hernandez as the only eight-game winners in the majors. Dating to early September of last season, Cole is 12-2 over 16 starts.

The Pirates would have won in a blowout if it hadn’t been for center fielder Angel Pagan and right fielder Hunter Pence, who made spectacular catches on Andrew McCutchen with the bases loaded in the third and fifth innings, respectively.

Pagan raced and made a full-extension dive in left-center, a tangle of limbs and tousled hair, while making his catch in the third inning. Pence went to the gap in right-center and left his feet while hauling in his catch in the fifth. Instead of two bases-clearing doubles and six RBIs, McCutchen settled for a pair of sacrifice flies. He had to smile all the way to the dugout after Pence denied him again.

The catches were momentary reprieves for Vogelsong, who gave up a tiebreaking, two-run double to Neil Walker just two pitches after Pence’s catch.

Vogelsong lamented the two-strike pitch that hit Josh Harrison, and a close 3-2 pitch to Gregory Polanco that was called ball four.

“He just came up short against a tough pitcher,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said.

Brandon Belt gave the Giants a 2-0 lead in the first inning when he flicked his bat at a 96 mph fastball and sent it into the right field corner for a double, accounting for two unearned runs because of an earlier error by shortstop Jung Ho Kang.

The Giants didn’t touch Cole again, and a seemingly inconsistent strike zone from plate umpire Adrian Johnson didn’t help. With Cole throwing fuel, the last thing the Giants hitters needed was another doubt in their minds.

Trailing by two runs in the sixth, they had their chance. The Giants started the inning with two walks and a single, but Belt struck out when he couldn’t check his swing on a nasty, 89 mph slider.

“It was a borderline strike, and you’ve got no choice except to swing there,” Belt said. “But I was ahead 2-0, and he threw me a fastball that I fouled off. I had my chance that at-bat and just didn’t get it done.”

Crawford was next, and the Pirates surely remembered his grand slam off Edinson Volquez that quieted PNC Park in the wild-card game last October. There was personal significance, too. Cole’s longtime girlfriend is Crawford’s sister, Amy.

Cole missed low with a slider then came back with that sinking, 98 mph fastball. Walker started the double play, and the Giants failed to score despite loading the bases with no outs.

“He’s having a great year, and he’s got the stuff to pitch out of that jam in the sixth,” Bochy said. “That was pretty much our undoing. We had two good hitters up, and he made the pitches to stop it.”

Nori Aoki doubled and scored in the eighth inning off Pirates lefty Tony Walker, advancing to third on a deep fly out and scoring on a ground out. But the inning ended with a replay review and a call of fan interference. Buster Posey lofted a deep foul fly that right fielder Polanco appeared to be in position to catch when a Pirates fan wearing a Bonds jersey and a pill box cap reached over the wall and knocked the ball away. The ruling on the field was no play, but replay officials in New York had a different opinion.

SAN FRANCISCO — There is no replaying last year’s N.L. wild-card game. There is no way for the Pittsburgh Pirates to reverse their decision to pitch Gerrit Cole in the regular-season finale instead of holding him back to face the Giants.

But the Giants’ 4-3 loss Monday night at AT&T Park might have offered a future glimpse into the next time these teams confront each other in the postseason.

Cole faced Brandon Crawford with the bases loaded in the sixth inning. Crawford did not punish the Pirates with a grand slam, as he did last October.

He grounded into a double play, Cole’s upper-90s stuff got nastier as the night went on, and two tremendous catches in the outfield were not enough to save Ryan Vogelsong as the Giants began June with their third consecutive loss.

“I don’t remember him having as much movement, especially with the upper-90s fastball,” Crawford said. “I remember there was some arm-side run in the past, usually with his 93 or 94 mph, at the lower end of his fastball. But the pitch I grounded into a double play was 98 with sink, which I don’t remember seeing from him in the past.”

The Pirates won for the ninth time in 11 games, and Cole did not allow an earned run in seven innings while improving to 8-2 with a 1.90 ERA. He joined Bartolo Colon and Felix Hernandez as the only eight-game winners in the majors. Dating to early September of last season, Cole is 12-2 over 16 starts.

The Pirates would have won in a blowout if it hadn’t been for center fielder Angel Pagan and right fielder Hunter Pence, who made spectacular catches on Andrew McCutchen with the bases loaded in the third and fifth innings, respectively.

Pagan raced and made a full-extension dive in left-center, a tangle of limbs and tousled hair, while making his catch in the third inning. Pence went to the gap in right-center and left his feet while hauling in his catch in the fifth. Instead of two bases-clearing doubles and six RBIs, McCutchen settled for a pair of sacrifice flies. He had to smile all the way to the dugout after Pence denied him again.

The catches were momentary reprieves for Vogelsong, who gave up a tiebreaking, two-run double to Neil Walker just two pitches after Pence’s catch.

Vogelsong lamented the two-strike pitch that hit Josh Harrison, and a close 3-2 pitch to Gregory Polanco that was called ball four.

“He just came up short against a tough pitcher,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said.

Brandon Belt gave the Giants a 2-0 lead in the first inning when he flicked his bat at a 96 mph fastball and sent it into the right field corner for a double, accounting for two unearned runs because of an earlier error by shortstop Jung Ho Kang.

The Giants didn’t touch Cole again, and a seemingly inconsistent strike zone from plate umpire Adrian Johnson didn’t help. With Cole throwing fuel, the last thing the Giants hitters needed was another doubt in their minds.

Trailing by two runs in the sixth, they had their chance. The Giants started the inning with two walks and a single, but Belt struck out when he couldn’t check his swing on a nasty, 89 mph slider.

“It was a borderline strike, and you’ve got no choice except to swing there,” Belt said. “But I was ahead 2-0, and he threw me a fastball that I fouled off. I had my chance that at-bat and just didn’t get it done.”

Crawford was next, and the Pirates surely remembered his grand slam off Edinson Volquez that quieted PNC Park in the wild-card game last October. There was personal significance, too. Cole’s longtime girlfriend is Crawford’s sister, Amy.

Cole missed low with a slider then came back with that sinking, 98 mph fastball. Walker started the double play, and the Giants failed to score despite loading the bases with no outs.

“He’s having a great year, and he’s got the stuff to pitch out of that jam in the sixth,” Bochy said. “That was pretty much our undoing. We had two good hitters up, and he made the pitches to stop it.”

Nori Aoki doubled and scored in the eighth inning off Pirates lefty Tony Walker, advancing to third on a deep fly out and scoring on a ground out. But the inning ended with a replay review and a call of fan interference. Buster Posey lofted a deep foul fly that right fielder Polanco appeared to be in position to catch when a Pirates fan wearing a Bonds jersey and a pill box cap reached over the wall and knocked the ball away. The ruling on the field was no play, but replay officials in New York had a different opinion.

SAN FRANCISCO — There is no replaying last year’s N.L. wild-card game. There is no way for the Pittsburgh Pirates to reverse their decision to pitch Gerrit Cole in the regular-season finale instead of holding him back to face the Giants.

But the Giants’ 4-3 loss Monday night at AT&T Park might have offered a future glimpse into the next time these teams confront each other in the postseason.

Cole faced Brandon Crawford with the bases loaded in the sixth inning. Crawford did not punish the Pirates with a grand slam, as he did last October.

He grounded into a double play, Cole’s upper-90s stuff got nastier as the night went on, and two tremendous catches in the outfield were not enough to save Ryan Vogelsong as the Giants began June with their third consecutive loss.

“I don’t remember him having as much movement, especially with the upper-90s fastball,” Crawford said. “I remember there was some arm-side run in the past, usually with his 93 or 94 mph, at the lower end of his fastball. But the pitch I grounded into a double play was 98 with sink, which I don’t remember seeing from him in the past.”

The Pirates won for the ninth time in 11 games, and Cole did not allow an earned run in seven innings while improving to 8-2 with a 1.90 ERA. He joined Bartolo Colon and Felix Hernandez as the only eight-game winners in the majors. Dating to early September of last season, Cole is 12-2 over 16 starts.

The Pirates would have won in a blowout if it hadn’t been for center fielder Angel Pagan and right fielder Hunter Pence, who made spectacular catches on Andrew McCutchen with the bases loaded in the third and fifth innings, respectively.

Pagan raced and made a full-extension dive in left-center, a tangle of limbs and tousled hair, while making his catch in the third inning. Pence went to the gap in right-center and left his feet while hauling in his catch in the fifth. Instead of two bases-clearing doubles and six RBIs, McCutchen settled for a pair of sacrifice flies. He had to smile all the way to the dugout after Pence denied him again.

The catches were momentary reprieves for Vogelsong, who gave up a tiebreaking, two-run double to Neil Walker just two pitches after Pence’s catch.

Vogelsong lamented the two-strike pitch that hit Josh Harrison, and a close 3-2 pitch to Gregory Polanco that was called ball four.

“He just came up short against a tough pitcher,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said.

Brandon Belt gave the Giants a 2-0 lead in the first inning when he flicked his bat at a 96 mph fastball and sent it into the right field corner for a double, accounting for two unearned runs because of an earlier error by shortstop Jung Ho Kang.

The Giants didn’t touch Cole again, and a seemingly inconsistent strike zone from plate umpire Adrian Johnson didn’t help. With Cole throwing fuel, the last thing the Giants hitters needed was another doubt in their minds.

Trailing by two runs in the sixth, they had their chance. The Giants started the inning with two walks and a single, but Belt struck out when he couldn’t check his swing on a nasty, 89 mph slider.

“It was a borderline strike, and you’ve got no choice except to swing there,” Belt said. “But I was ahead 2-0, and he threw me a fastball that I fouled off. I had my chance that at-bat and just didn’t get it done.”

Crawford was next, and the Pirates surely remembered his grand slam off Edinson Volquez that quieted PNC Park in the wild-card game last October. There was personal significance, too. Cole’s longtime girlfriend is Crawford’s sister, Amy.

Cole missed low with a slider then came back with that sinking, 98 mph fastball. Walker started the double play, and the Giants failed to score despite loading the bases with no outs.

“He’s having a great year, and he’s got the stuff to pitch out of that jam in the sixth,” Bochy said. “That was pretty much our undoing. We had two good hitters up, and he made the pitches to stop it.”

Nori Aoki doubled and scored in the eighth inning off Pirates lefty Tony Walker, advancing to third on a deep fly out and scoring on a ground out. But the inning ended with a replay review and a call of fan interference. Buster Posey lofted a deep foul fly that right fielder Polanco appeared to be in position to catch when a Pirates fan wearing a Bonds jersey and a pill box cap reached over the wall and knocked the ball away. The ruling on the field was no play, but replay officials in New York had a different opinion.